After extreme makeover, predictions for the Los Angeles Lakers

2. This team’s crunch-time lineup will have Davis at the 5

One of the most intriguing subplots of the season for the Los Angeles Lakers is how many minutes Davis plays at center. He has expressed many times throughout his career that he sees himself not as a center but as a power forward and the history of centers rotated through in New Orleans plays to that point.

JaVale McGee will start at center alongside Davis and the team also has Dwight Howard in the rotation. Behind them the cupboard is bare, with DeMarcus Cousins sidelined and Kyle Kuzma without the size to realistically guard centers. Out of necessity Davis will have to play some minutes at center naturally, with a significant increase if McGee or Howard are injured.

More so than sheer math, strategy demands that Davis play at the center as well. While playing big with McGee or Howard will allow the Lakers to control the glass, it also lowers their offensive ceiling. When the minutes truly matter in a game — or for all of the postseason — Davis will play center in crunch-time lineups.

That allows LeBron James and Kuzma to play at the forward positions, still giving the lineup size even while going “small” at center. Danny Green and either Kentavious Caldwell-Pope or Avery Bradley can defend opposing backcourt players.

Without knowing exactly who plays best this season, the most potent on-paper lineup would probably not include Kuzma either. Davis at the 5, James at the 4, and Alex Caruso or Quinn Cook at the point spaces the floor without sacrificing much defensive versatility.

This team will be defined by how it plays on the biggest stages against the best opponents. At those moments this team and its star big man know that Anthony Davis needs to be playing center.